Max Verstappen faced intense criticism from fans for not wearing a special Ayrton Senna t-shirt during the F1 tribute in Imola. Alongside Sebastian Vettel, Stefano Domenicali, Nico Hulkenberg, and Carlos Sainz, Verstappen took part in the Senna Tribute on the track. However, instead of wearing the commemorative t-shirt, he was seen wearing a Red Bull shirt. This decision sparked negative reactions from fans, but it has since been revealed that Verstappen’s special t-shirt may have been stolen.
The Formula 1 community heavily criticized Verstappen for his choice of clothing, but seemed to overlook another driver who was also not wearing the special t-shirt. Four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel led the event and, despite the negative reception, Verstappen chose not to directly respond to online criticism.
Recent reports suggest that Verstappen’s special Senna t-shirt, along with Valtteri Bottas’ shirt, was stolen from the paddock before the tribute took place. This theft explains why both drivers were unable to wear the commemorative t-shirts. No further information has been released about this unusual incident.
During Friday’s session, Max Verstappen faced significant grip and balance issues in his RB20 car. As a result, he struggled to achieve impressive results. The 26-year-old driver expressed his frustration with the lack of chassis pace, leading Christian Horner to acknowledge the team’s disappointing performance.
Horner, the 50-year-old team principal, admitted that the team was dissatisfied with their performance on Friday. Consequently, they worked tirelessly overnight to make improvements to the chassis. However, Verstappen continued to face issues during the FP3 session. The team made further changes before the qualifying session, which ultimately turned the situation around.
Despite a disappointing result in qualifying in P11, Max Verstappen is expected to have a smooth race during the Emilia Romagna GP. The Milton Keynes team has been minimizing errors since the beginning of the season. Therefore, Verstappen is expected to deliver another dominant performance with the challenging RB20, aiming to maximize the results.
